Howard Hughes sits at the controls of his 400,000 pound Flying Boat just a day prior to its first tests in the Los Angeles Harbor in California. The aircraft was 219 feet long with a wing span of 320 feet.
Description printed on photograph's accompanying sheet of paper: "Howard Hughes and his crew of globe girdlers (L-to-R) Thomas Thurlow, Ed Lund, Albert Lodwick, Hughes, Harry Connor and Dick Stoddart. 8-1-38. (Press Association)." Howard Hughes is standing third from right.
Description given with photo: "Cogitation Concentration Jubilation, Washington, D.C. - Three interesting studies of plane-builder, movie-maker and headline-maker Howard Hughes as he returned to the witness stand before the Senate War Investigating Committee today to answer questions relating to his wartime plane-building contracts. During his testimony today, Hughes said he wishes to absolve shipbuilder Henry Kaiser from any criticism in connection with the 200-ton flying boat that is one of the issues in the current probe. Photograph by G.B. Kress. 8/8/47."